Why is hall used for karate now deemed illegal, ex-MIC veep asks Yeoh

 

A crowd watching the attempted demolition of an ‘illegal’ structure adjacent to the Taman Sri Sinar community hall in Segambut yesterday. (PTGWP pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Former MIC vice-president T Mohan has asked youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh to explain why a community hall in Segambut, which has been used as a karate training centre for years, has now been declared an illegal structure.

In a Facebook post yesterday, Yeoh said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the federal territories land and mines office (PTGWP) attempted to demolish an illegal structure adjacent to the Taman Sri Sinar community hall in Segambut, which she said had been occupied by an unauthorised operator without approval.

She was responding to a video, that Mohan posted on Facebook, in which a crowd was seen protesting the attempted demolition of the illegal structure, with some people claiming that it was used as a karate training ground.

Mohan said today this structure 

cannot be considered illegal

 as it was constructed by the area’s Rukun Tetangga more than 30 years ago.

He also said the structure had been the training ground for karate students for numerous years, with many of them from low-income families.

He said the training was conducted by the Ponniah family, which had excelled in karate and had produced athletes who had won medals in the sport at the international and regional levels.

The students are multiracial and not confined to one race,

 said Mohan in a statement.

“There are lots of activities being undertaken and the residents have been using the facilities there. It is an active community centre,.

“The important question is why has this hall been declared an illegal structure now after being there for many years.

There have not been any complaints from the residents’ association about the training centre. I believe there is an ulterior motive for having this hall demolished.

Yesterday, Yeoh said DBKL had been trying to reclaim management of the hall for nearly a year. She said this was part of a broader initiative across Kuala Lumpur to ensure that community halls were accessible to all residents and not monopolised by any single party.

The Segambut MP said numerous notices issued by both the FT land and mines office and DBKL for the operator to vacate the premises were ignored.

She also said the operator had even commenced work to expand the illegal structure.

The federal territories land and mines office said it postponed yesterday’s demolition after unidentified parties created a human shield using children and women to obstruct their machines. (PTGWP pic)

In a statement, the FT land and mines office said it postponed the demolition after unidentified parties created a human shield using children and women to obstruct their machines, which created a dangerous environment for the operation to continue.

It said the structure was built without valid permission and that the trespassers – a gymnasium operator and martial arts practitioner – were issued notices to vacate the site on July 4.

The office said the trespassers requested time to remove their gym equipment and signed an undertaking to vacate the site and cease all activities there for 30 days.

No activities are permitted during this 30-day period and the enforcement operation will resume after Sept 6,

 t said.

It warned that trespassing on government land which has been designated as open space is an offence under Section 425(1) of the National Land Code, which involves occupying government land without valid permission.

Offenders may face a maximum fine of RM500,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. - FMT